This invention relates to a method and apparatus for multilingual communication of computer-specified control messages and more specifically to a method and apparatus for multilingual communication of computer-control messages in an operator-designated language.
During the operation of computer-controlled equipment, such as computer numerically controlled machine tools, it is not unusual for alphanumeric control messages to be displayed on a cathode ray tube or a light emitting diode display at periodic intervals to apprise the operator of system conditions and to elicit a response thereto. Such alphanumeric control messages are most often displayed in the English language. While display of English language alphanumeric control messages incurs no difficulty when the machine tool operator is conversant in English, display of English language control messages is most certainly disadvantageous when the machine tool operator is not conversant in English. In fact, communication English language control messages to a non-English speaking machine tool operator presents a serious safety hazard.
Heretofore, communication of computer-specified control messages in a language other than English has required modification of the computer software to enable communication of control messages in a language other than English. Communication of computer-specified control messages in each of several languages requires several different versions of computer software, each being resident in the computer memory at all times, thereby increasing the required size of the computer memory as well as decreasing computer efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for multilingual communication of computer-specified control messages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for multilingual communication of computer-specified control messages in an operator-selected language.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus of multilingual transmission of computer-specified control messages which does not require modification of the computer software.